Guy Barnett (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, indeed, it will be, Senator Evans. Some of the $45 million each year that the state government would subsequently save from John Howard’s decision to take over the running of the Mersey hospital—now put at more than $60 million per annum—would then be used in part to revive services at both the Rosebery and Ouse hospitals. But this was not a great call on state coffers. I want to put on the record that, in the state budget figures, the Ouse hospital deficit was running at approximately $106,766 in 2006-07. At Rosebery the deficit was a meagre $214,786. That came to less than one per cent of the money freed up from the Mersey takeover. So, for the 2007-08 year, the operating cost to run both hospitals was less than $3 million, or five per cent of the money freed up from the Mersey takeover.

The federal government promised Tasmanians that every single dollar would be spent in the north. Indeed, the state minister for health, Lara Giddings, promised at a public meeting in Launceston, which I and many hundreds of other Launcestonians and northerners attended, that every cent would be spent in the north and north-west of Tasmania. But now they have committed to spending $8 million in the south.

I take issue with Dean Southwell, the editor of the Examiner, who, in his opinion piece on Sunday, said that he did not see it as such a big issue as to where the money would be spent. I see it as a big issue, firstly, for northern and north-western Tasmania and, secondly, in terms of integrity. On the one hand you have the state government saying, ‘Look, we are going to spend $8 million in the south,’ and then on the other hand you have Kevin Rudd and the federal Labor government saying that every single dollar will be spent in the north and north-west. Who is right? Where will that money go?

In terms of Ouse and Rosebery, at Ouse it is good news that there is a review underway about the possibility of a multipurpose service. How did this come about? This was part of the proposal put forward by Christopher Pyne, Tony Abbott and the local community—Mayor Deirdre Flint and the Hospital Action Committee. This is what they wanted and this is what we were working towards. At least the state government are now considering that as an option—an independent report will consider that—and I hope they proceed swiftly in that regard.

In terms of Rosebery, federal Labor has held discussion with the Tasmanian government about improvements to the community based aged-care, respite and health services in the Ouse and Rosebery communities, at the instigation of the local federal member, Dick Adams. This was reported on 25 September last year in Labor’s policy on the Tasmanian health plan. It said:

Federal Labor will continue to work with the Tasmanian Government and local community members to improve the quality of services in both communities.

Goodness me! The state government had a plan and implemented the plan to downgrade both hospitals. It is on the record.